News: No clarity on funds, SPR revamp stuck-23-03-2021
No clarity on funds, SPR revamp stuck
Gurgaon: Over two years after it was proposed, the redevelopment of the Southern Peripheral Road (SPR) hangs in uncertainty even though one carriageway of the road is in a shambles and requires patch work.
The project was tabled at the previous authority meeting of the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), but was put off due to concerns over its cost and source of funds.
“It was decided that the cost of the project will be reworked and put up for the authority’s approval,” said a source within GMDA. He added that there has been no recent update on the project.
Meanwhile, the carriageway going from Sohna to Faridabad continues to be in bad shape and requires constant patch work. “We need to decide on the redevelopment of the project or otherwise we plan for its strengthening, because the road witnesses very heavy traffic and it is unable to withstand the load,” he added.
When approached on the matter, GMDA chief engineer Jitender Mittal said they are working on the proposal. “The agency appointed for the construction work is expected to come back to us with a proposal and estimate, and we should be able to take it from there,” he said. The proposal might be tabled in the upcoming GMDA budget meeting. Meanwhile, Mittal said that they are constantly doing patch work on the stretch to reduce inconvenience for commuters.
The revamp is expected to cost around Rs 230 crore. While GMDA will be funding a part of it, the state government is expecting to raise the rest of the amount from developers who have projects along the SPR. “In case the developers refuse to pay, we will be either adjusting it against the external development charges (EDC) or charging it through cess,” an official had earlier told TOI. Golf Course Road was also developed in a similar manner, where the costs were adjusted against realtor DLF’s EDC dues.
The Haryana government had approved the redevelopment of SPR during an authority meeting in 2018. The project includes widening of the road and construction of two underpasses and three flyovers at each junction between Sector 55-56 chowk and Vatika Chowk. While the NHAI will be developing the underpass at Vatika Chowk, the rest of the project will be undertaken by GMDA. The detailed project report of the project was finalised in 2019.
